


Baby Universal

by Luv_Bowie_Luver



Series: Baby Universal [1]
Category: David Bowie (Musician), Science Fiction - Fandom, Senjou no Merry Christmas | Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence | Furyo (1983)
Genre: Aliens, F/M, Feels, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-29
Updated: 2015-04-22
Packaged: 2018-03-20 07:42:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 10,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3642201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luv_Bowie_Luver/pseuds/Luv_Bowie_Luver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>David Bowie is a man from outer space in this sci-fi fanfic! Hatched in a lab that messes around with human and alien DNA, Jack (Bowie) causes utter chaos in the laboratory and has to be destroyed. But when all seems hopeless, he is rescued by ... the military?  Now Jack (Bowie) is a soldier and has to learn to kill the very species he has grown to love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Glowing Rock

**Author's Note:**

> Jack is a mixed character.
> 
> He is an alien.
> 
> His name is Jack Celliers and he looks like and talks like Major Jack Celliers from the film 'Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence' (David Bowie) but he is not the one from the film, I made him up but based his appearance on the one in the film :)
> 
> I hope that isn't too confusing, it will make more sense when you read it :D

There wasn't much to do when your job was to watch the stars in search for alien life, you could stare through the high powered telescope for hours on end or you could sit and watch the machines as they did it for you. For Jenny, the main thing she had to do, was make sure the machines never failed or glitched. Fixing them was the most interesting thing to happen to her when she was stationed here, often for months at a time with no communication from anyone. It was lonely and it was very drab, but someone had to do it and this time around; she had company.  
  
  
"See anything?" asked Freya, her new companion for the duration of her stay here.  
  
  
Jenny sighed, this was Freya's first time and she had a lot to learn.  
  
  
"Why don't you take a look?" Jenny suggested, sitting back in her chair.  
  
  
Freya's eyes lit up.  
  
  
"Really?" she asked, excited, "can I look?"  
  
  
"Sure," Jenny gestured to the telescope, "go ahead."  
  
  
Freya quickly stood up and rushed over to the giant telescope, placing her eye up against it and peering through the lens. She was amazed and in awe, but it was only a few minutes later that she frowned and pulled back suddenly.  
  
  
Jenny smiled knowingly.  
  
  
"Bored yet?" she asked.  
  
  
"Actually," Freya replied, "I think I see something out there."  
  
  
Jenny didn't react at first, she herself had seen many things out there but they had all turned out to be rocks or space debris of some sort.  
  
  
"What is it?" she asked finally.  
  
  
Freya peered back into the telescope.  
  
  
"It's a weird, glowing rock," she answered.  
  
  
Jenny sat up, _glowing_? She'd never seen a _glowing_ rock before.  
  
  
"Let me see," she took over and looked through.  
  
  
Sure enough, there was a rock floating there but it had an eerie red glow to it that she'd never heard of before.  
  
  
"Can I report it?" asked Freya, "oh _please_ let me report it!"  
  
  
Jenny picked up the phone and called it in, _she_ was the senior here; not Freya.  
  
  
The right channels were used and funds were gathered, soon there was excitement as the rock was collected by a special machine that was sent out for this one specific job.  
  
  
The rock was brought to a secret lab and many scientists tried to figure out what was making it glow, but none of them could really determine just exactly where the glow was coming from. Also, the rock seemed to get bigger and heavier each day until it was almost as big as the scientists themselves.  
  
  
One day, as they were taking samples of the rock, one of them had an idea.  
  
  
"What if the glow is actually coming from _inside_?" she suggested, "we should break it open."  
  
  
"That could be dangerous," countered her workmate, "we don't know what's in there."  
  
  
So the rock was left alone for a while, nice and warm in a secure room.  
  
  
That night, as the night watchman passed by the room, he heard something strange. Peering in through the little window, his eyes grew wide as he saw the rock had split open and some steam was emerging from it. He immediately reported it and soon the building was full of people rushing around. As they watched, the rock began to split open more and a lot of steam rushed out of it. They weren't in danger, for the room was  quarantined but it didn't stop their hearts from racing and something else began to emerge from the rock.


	2. The Alien

It was pale and scaly, reptile-like and humanoid at the same time. It had sharp claws on both it's hands and feet, a whip-like tail with a curved razor-sharp tip. It had pointed teeth, with serrated edges which suggested carnivore. It's eyes were bright yellow, glowing in the darkness of the little room. It crawled out of the rock, which they now knew had contained an egg, it immediately tried to stand up on shaky legs and it was as small as a toddler human. It took mere minutes for it to learn how to move around, but it couldn't seem to figure out how to leave the room.  
  
  
After the initial shock was over, the head of the lab ordered for it to be taken up to genetics for testing.  
  
  
The problem was, how would they get it there?  
  
  
"We don't have permission to detain alien life forms here," the owner of the institute made them all aware, "if anyone finds out about this, we are all out of a job! Get rid of it!" He left the building, not wanting to be involved.  
  
  
But nobody wanted to get rid of the alien, it was fascinating and what if there were more out there? Being scientists, they all wanted to learn whatever they could from the creature; so they devised a plan. They would take it up to genetics as they were told in the first place, there were so many mixed up animals in that part of the lab; nobody would think twice about the alien when they saw it.  
  
  
So how to approach it?  
  
  
Eventually, after much debate; they decided to send in one of the female staff because it might respond better. Their reasons were quite simple, it was obviously a baby of some sort and it would be looking for a mother. Some started to worry that the mother may return, looking for the baby; but right now they needed to get it hidden from their superiors. One of the female staff stepped forwards, taking a deep breath.  
  
  
"I'm ready," she said bravely, though her voice shook a little with nerves.  
  
  
"That's good, Amelia," smiled Greg, the head of genetics, "just stay calm and talk softly, you'll do fine."  
  
  
Amelia was allowed to go into the room, the creature looked at her curiously and took some steps towards her. Then it hissed and backed away, cornering itself and Amelia hesitated because even a cornered mouse would attack; there really wasn't anything else it could do.  
  
  
"It's okay," she tried talking softly to it, watching it tilt it's head as it listened to her voice, "I'm not here to hurt you... "  
  
  
She approached it slowly, it looked up at her fearfully and she stopped; kneeling down to meet with it eye to eye. This seemed to help it relax and it flicked out it's tongue, very much like a snake. She took careful notice of the clearly venomous spikes along the ridges of it's spine, they were small and barbed; glistening with something obviously toxic. She held out her hand towards the creature, it studied her hand with it's eyes curiously before looking back to her face once more. It did not understand, this was going to be harder than she thought...


	3. It's A Boy

After a while, trying to think of how to get it to follow her; Amelia turned her back on the alien suddenly. It was a long shot, but worth a try at least once. She smiled nervously as she felt it leap onto her back, claws digging softly into her shoulders and into the small of her back. Slowly, she stood up and walked calmly out of the door; the creature clinging to her tightly. She was led to the elevator, they took her directly to genetics and she was ushered into another secure room.  
  
  
They told her that they wanted her to stay with the creature until they could figure out how to communicate with it, Amelia agreed; she had become attached to it anyway and she had no plans of abandoning it now that she had gained it's trust. The first thing they wanted from the little creature, were samples. Skin, blood, scales, tissue, venom, etc.  It didn't seem to feel any pain, so it was a lot easier than expected because it remained calm and inquisitive throughout the entire process. Amelia was starting to feel anxious though, the alien was a baby and all babies had to eat; but what were they supposed to feed it?  It bit everything, so it _must_ be hungry.  
  
  
A wide range of different types of milk were offered to it, but nothing seemed to interest it.  
  
  
"Poor thing," Amelia stroked it's tummy and smiled as it closed it's eyes in response, "how do we tell if it's male or female?"  
  
  
"It's definitely male," came the response from Digby, who was sent in to observe the interactions between Amelia and the alien.  
  
  
Amelia looked the creature over, frowning.  
  
  
"How can you be so sure?" she asked him.  
  
  
"We tested the samples," Digby answered her, "it's a he, not a she."  
  
  
Amelia smiled slightly.  
  
  
"Then he needs a name," she said firmly, "we can't just call it him or it."  
  
  
Digby looked thoughtful.  
  
  
"I agree," he nodded, "well, you're his 'mother' - what would you like to call him?"  
  
  
Amelia was surprised, she got to _name_ him?  
  
  
She looked at his yellow eyes as they blinked curiously back at her, she smiled and tapped his little snout with her fingertip lightly. He gave her a little sound that she had come to know as - well, a laugh? It certainly happened whenever he seemed happy or excited anyway.  
  
  
"I'm not sure," she said quietly, "give me a few days, I'll come up with something suitable."  
  
  
Digby stood up and walked over to the door.  
  
  
"Good idea," he replied, "never rush into naming anything, you might end up with a name like mine!" He chuckled and left the room, Amelia turned to her little alien boy and smiled at him.  
  
  
He showed her his sharp, little teeth and she laughed fondly at his failed attempt to smile back at her.  
  
  
"You're so cute," she told him, stroking his tummy again because he seemed to really enjoy it - that and a little scratch under his chin. She always made sure to do both, it was the only way she knew how to express affection towards him.


	4. DNA

She went home every night and returned each day, the little creature seemed to grow bigger everytime she saw him in the mornings. His rapid growth alarmed some of the scientists, as they had no idea just how big his species could get and this worried Amelia because she wasn't sure what they might do to him. She was fascinated by his eyes, they often changed colour and she wondered what each different colour meant.  
  
  
She loved to bring him toys to play with, even if he took a bite of each one before she could show him what he was supposed to do with it.  
  
  
The day was soon coming when they would want to start testing him, it was a day Amelia dreaded.  
  
  
One morning, Amelia arrived a little later than usual because the traffic had been jammed up due to a pile-up on her normal route. She went into the little room, only to find it empty and there were blood spatters everywhere. Panicked, she followed the droplets to the infirmary and watched some of the security team being patched up by the nurse.  
  
  
"What happened?" she asked, her eyes wide.  
  
  
"That little lizard of yours attacked us!" replied Brent, who was nursing an obviously bitten arm.  
  
  
"He wouldn't do that," Amelia defended her charge, "what did you do to him first??"  
  
  
"Alright," Brent admitted, "we were told to hold him still while they gave him a shot of some sort, your little guy went nuts... My ears are still ringing, he's got a set of lungs on him!"  
  
  
Amelia felt a pang of sadness in her heart and it hurt, she'd never heard him scream before and she hated to know he'd ever felt the need to do it.  
  
  
"Where have they taken him?" she asked.  
  
  
"Testing," Brent told her, eyes averted in shame.  
  
  
Amelia set her jaw and stormed down the hallway to the testing lab, she could hear his high-pitched , alien shrieking before she got anywhere near the door. Walking quickly into the lab, she saw him strapped down with a team of white coated people surrounding him - they looked tired and had obviously been at this far longer than just this morning...  
  
  
She started towards them, but was blocked quickly by the woman in charge of this section of the lab - Iris.  
  
  
"What are you doing to him?" demanded Amelia, " _let him go_!"  
  
  
"Amelia, I know you're attached to the alien but I assure you this is fascinating stuff," Iris said, "we have discovered so much about him! Come over here and let me show you... "  
  
  
Amelia reluctantly walked over to the computer, they had certainly been at this for hours.  
  
  
"He is _amazing!_ " Iris explained, clicking with her mouse pointer, "his eyes can change colours to suit how he views the world, here you can see his eyes are yellow. That's his normal vision, but see here where they're red? Infrared vision. Now, check this out... See his eyes are blue? X-Ray vision! Isn't that _incredible_? And look here... See how they've turned grey here? He can see through anything - _including lead_!"  
  
  
Amelia had to admit, this was all very interesting; but she couldn't help feeling worried about him.  
  
  
"Have they hurt him?" she asked quietly.  
  
  
"To be honest," said Iris, "I doubt he _can_ be hurt... He is a bit frightened though... "  
  
  
Amelia glanced over to the gurney where they had him strapped down, he was still very noisy and stuggling violently.  
  
  
"He never seems to get tired," Iris said in amazement, "he doesn't even sleep, nobody has ever seen him sleep; not even just for a few minutes... "  
  
  
"Let me see him," Amelia said softly, "please... "  
  
  
Iris walked her over to the gurney and he fell silent the moment his eyes fell upon Amelia, his body still and his breathing slowing as he calmed down.  
  
  
"Let me take him back to the room," Amelia turned to Iris.  
  
  
"Okay," Iris agreed, "in a second... "  
  
  
Iris nodded to a waiting nurse, who then injected the alien with a liquid.  
  
  
Amelia frowned, watching in silence until her creature flinched.  
  
  
"What's in that syringe?" she demanded to know, "he _never_ flinches... "  
  
  
"It's a precaution," said Iris, "genetics suggested we inject him with some human DNA to stem his growth... "  
  
  
"What?!" Amelia felt outraged that they would be so reckless, " _whose_ DNA?!"


	5. Rapid Growth

Iris shrugged. It was well known around here that there was a vast collection of samples from notable people, from celebrities to royalty. Anyone of interest who had ever been to hospital, had samples taken from them. It was sheer whimsy, as someone in charge around here had the strange hobby of collecting the samples. Some people imagined the person wanted to clone the famous people, but for whatever reasons they could only guess.  
  
  
"It doesn't matter who it came from," Iris explained, "it'll only stop him from growing any bigger than that person, I'm sure it won't have any other side effects."  
  
  
"Because you've _tested it_ ," snarked Amelia.  
  
  
Iris lowered her gaze.  
  
  
"You can take him back now," she said quietly.  
  
  
Amelia unstrapped her alien and he jumped onto her back, he was getting heavy and was now the size of an 8 year old but she managed to carry him back to the room quickly and calmly. Amelia watched him sit in the corner, he looked at her and she felt a sadness coming from him. His beautiful, white scales had turned red and somehow she knew he was in pain. It hurt her to know he was hurting so badly, _what had they done_?  
  
  
The door opened a few minutes later and the alien instantly leapt at the wall, secreting a substance from his hands and feet. It was strong enough to hold him as it stuck him to the wall, he climbed effortlessly up it like a lizard and clung to the ceiling; gazing upside down at the intruder. It was Digby, coming to watch them interact.  
  
  
"Wow, he's red now?" asked Digby, "is he hot or did you make him angry?"  
  
  
He was joking, of course, but Amelia was in no mood for laughing.  
  
  
"He's in pain," she snapped, " _bastards_... "  
  
  
Digby stopped grinning as he sat down.  
  
  
"Sorry," he apologised quickly, "I didn't know... What happened to him?"  
  
  
Amelia told Digby what she knew and he shook his head, but he wasn't on her side 100%.  
  
  
"Well you know," he said casually, "he _is_ an alien, this stuff is going to happen. Might as well get used to it, you're never going to be able to just take him home, Amelia. You can't protect him forever... "  
  
  
Amelia really didn't need to hear this right now, she knew he was only speaking the truth but she still hated him for it.  
  
  
"Have you decided on a name for him yet?" asked Digby.  
  
  
Amelia shook her head slightly.  
  
  
"How can I name him?" she stifled a sob.  
  
  
Digby fell silent now, for giving something a name meant that you were then responsible for that being and Amelia couldn't be that person because she was not in charge and had no control over what happened to him.  
  
  
When she left that night, her little boy stood almost as tall as she.  
  
  
The rapid growth rate had not slowed, but when would it stop completely?  
  
  
During the night, the watchmen dared not go near the little room. Coming from it were the kinds of howls one only heard in horror films, screams and shrieks that reminded them of every nightmare they'd ever had. It grew eerily silent in the tiny hours of the morning just before dawn, but nobody had the guts to look in on him and he remained alone in his agony until it stopped and he could relax.  
  
  
Amelia arrived early the next day, she didn't want to get there and find him missing again. As she stepped into the room and locked the door shut behind her, she turned and her eyes grew wide as she saw him.  
  
  
_But was it him?_


	6. "Jack"

There was a naked, blond haired human standing there, pressed into the corner and shivering. He was touching his hair as though unfamiliar with it, pulling at it with a puzzled and fearful expression.  
  
  
Amelia recognised him at once, this was clearly a very famous man by the name of David Bowie - but what the hell was _he_ doing here??  As it slowly dawned on her that the DNA must have had this effect on her alien, she searched his eyes and found he recognised her as well. Since she had never met David Bowie in her life, this had to be her alien and this had to be a side effect of the injected DNA used to try and stop his growth.  
  
  
She tried to look at the positive side, he now had vocal chords similar to her own and thus the capacity to learn to speak and understand english. Also, now that he looked human, perhaps he would be treated with a little dignity and compassion. She slowly walked over to him and he did not tense up, which was a good sign.  
  
  
"Hey there," she spoke quietly, " _look at you_... "

  
  
  
He let her look him over, she could see no obvious signs that he was an alien at all but at the same time he was certainly not human. His mannerisms weren't quite right and he did not know how to use nor recognise different facial expressions to determine moods. He knew no words, didn't utter a sound and he blinked quite slowly which made him seem in disbelief much of the time - and perhaps he was, given how very different he looked now.  
  
  
Throughout the day, she learned that he could extend or retract his claws at will. He could still scale the wall and cling to the ceiling, whip out his tail to steady his balance and vanish it when he wasn't using it. His eyes were blue now, so the X-Ray vision was yellow instead but there was damage to his left eye. A quick test revealed that the creature's DNA had adapted the damage and used the injury to create perfect night-vision. Getting him to wear clothing was easy enough, he seemed to understand that it was preferable.  
  
  
It was well received that he now appeared human, it would be that much easier to hide him but the face of such a famous person wasn't going to go unnoticed. It helped Amelia to ensure that he got better treatment, tests were now done with coaxing and encouragement rather than with force and bonds. He was given the name Jack, because Amelia had always wanted a son named Jack. It stuck after a while and it became his name from then on, he even started responding to it after a day or two.


	7. My Baby Boy

His high intelligence suggested he could learn things very quickly, Amelia decided she would use her free time to teach him some basic words and then perhaps he would begin to pick up other words on his own. Each time she walked into his room, she smiled at him and said "Hello"  - Then she would bring out an object and tell him what it was called. The first thing she showed him, was a glass of water. She felt that it was important for him to be able to communicate his thirst, she poured a glass of water and held it up to him. "Water," she would tell him, over and over.  
  
  
On the third day, she entered the room and smiled at him as she always did.  
  
  
"Hello," she said, locking the door.  
  
  
"Hell... Oh," came his hesitant response.  
  
  
Amelia froze, turning slowly to look at him. He searched her eyes, curious about her sudden change in behaviour.  
  
  
"Good!" she recovered quickly, setting him at ease, "very good!"  
  
  
She began to pour the water and he shifted in his seat.  
  
  
"War... Tar... " he stammered. Amelia beamed at him for trying.  
  
  
"Good boy!" she praised him, "water... "  
  
  
Jack mimicked her smile, though it still looked unnatural and forced.  
  
  
"W-Water," he said again, a little more smoothly this time.  
  
  
Amelia felt so proud and elated, she couldn't wipe the grin from her face if she tried.  
  
  
His own face remained expressionless, watching her carefully; studying, learning...  
  
  
She placed her hand onto her chest.  
  
  
"Amelia Celliers," she encouraged him to copy her, lifting his hand to her chest, "Amelia... "  
  
  
She looked pointedly at him, he simply stared at her for a moment and pulled his hand away, looking at it and then back at her.  
  
  
"A-Amy," he sputtered, then stopped; unsure.  
  
  
She figured it was a start and it was better than nothing.  
  
  
"Good!" she reassured him with a smile.  
  
  
He had come to learn that 'good' was a positive praise and it relaxed him when he wasn't certain of his efforts. They still hadn't figured out what he ate, but he didn't seem to be bothered about food just yet anyway.  
  
Jack's favourite item, was a brightly colourful ball that Amelia had brought in just for him to play with. He had bitten it at first, leaving two rows of pinprick toothmarks in it but it was tasteless. They would sit opposite each other and roll it back and forth across the room, she would never forget the way his eyes lit up each time she arrived in the mornings; rushing off to fetch his ball so that they could play. He always made her laugh and she adored him all the more for it.


	8. Go Away, Jack

He was barely two months old when they came for him, someone had let it slip to the military of his unique talents and it seemed that he would prove a valuable asset to their ranks.  
  
  
Amelia was sitting with him in his room, going over some of his newest words. He had learned quite a few now, some he had picked up on his own while others he had learned from her. He still called her Amy and she never corrected him, she quite liked it and coming from him, well, it was just plain adorable. Her own accent was like David Bowie's, so he learned to speak in the same way, which Amelia found was quite fitting. The door opened and Jack stood up, backing away nervously as some military personnel walked in.  
  
  
Amelia stood up and put herself between Jack and the soldiers, looking at them anxiously.  
  
  
"What's going on?" she demanded, "what do you want?"  
  
  
"We've come for the ' _spaceman_ '," smirked one, the other started snickering and Amelia was under the impression that they didn't believe a word they had obviously been told.  
  
  
"Could you please just leave us alone?" Amelia spoke calmly and quietly, so as not to alarm Jack any further.  
  
  
"We've got our orders," gruffed the first soldier, "is that him or isn't it?"  
  
  
They both pushed past her and took an arm each, without waiting for an answer and started to force Jack out of the room.  
  
  
"Be careful!" Amelia shouted, " _watch out!_ "  
  
  
Too late.  
  
  
The razor sharp tip of Jack's tail sliced open the first soldier's throat and the second soldier dropped at the same time; little venomous spines protruding from all over his body. Amelia covered her mouth with her hand, gasping in shock. Without thinking, she spun around in anger.  
  
  
"Jack, _no_!" she shouted, "that was bad! _Very bad_!"  
  
  
Jack lowered his gaze, she had never raised her voice at him before and he knew that 'bad' was a scolding she rarely ever used.  
  
  
Amelia was sorry she had made him feel terrible, but she was afraid of the consequences - what would happen to him now?  
  
  
"Oh sweetheart," she touched his face gently, "what have you done?"  
  
  
He averted his gaze, indicating that he didn't understand.  
  
  
It wouldn't be long before the bodies were discovered and they would take him away from her forever, so Amelia hugged Jack close to her and tried to enjoy what little time she had left with him.  
  
  
"Whatever happens," she whispered into his ear, "always remember that I love you, no matter what."  
  
  
And then everything happened all at once.  
  
  
Digby walked in and slipped on the blood that was pooling on the floor, he hurried out and alerted everyone of what he'd found. Amelia tried to hold onto Jack as security came in, but they dragged her away and her heart broke when she heard him call out to her fearfully, " _Mumma_!"  
  
  
She struggled to get back to him, but they held her tightly as more soldiers entered the room.  
  
  
They were punching him, kicking him, trying to hurt him and she was screaming at them to stop but they weren't listening. When it became evident that nothing they did was actually causing him any pain, one of them drew his pistol and Amelia squealed as he aimed and fired at Jack.  
  
  
Everyone froze, staring as the bullet stopped in mid-air. It dropped to the ground and Jack bared his teeth, lunging for the gunman. The soldiers quickly retreated and locked the door, leaving Jack alone for the time being. Amelia stood close to the window in the door, she looked in at him and was relieved to see that he hadn't a scratch on him.  
  
  
"You can't just go in there and try to force him to come with you," she said firmly, "he has to go willingly."  
  
  
As much as she wanted him to stay, he had become too dangerous to keep around.  
  
  
"That thing is a menace!" came an angry remark from the ranks.  
  
  
Amelia spun around, outraged.  
  
  
"He's just a _baby_!" she shouted, "you _scared_ him!"  
  
  
Silence followed and Amelia felt the tears streaming down her cheeks again, because she knew what was coming next.  
  
  
"Amelia," Iris came over to her, "you're going to have to convince Jack to go with them, you know that, right?"  
  
  
Amelia nodded, though it was the last thing she ever wanted to do. This was the day she had been dreading, the day she would have to betray him, she just hoped that someday he could forgive her. They waited, ready and alert as she slipped back into the room. Amelia tried to ignore the fact that Jack was licking at the blood that had spattered on him when he attacked the soldiers, as well as the fact that he seemed to enjoy it.  
  
  
She walked over to him and touched his face, he gave a kind of purr, closed his eyes and leaned into her hand.  
  
  
"You have to go now," Amelia wasted no time, "you've got to go with them."  
  
  
His eyes opened and he pulled back, studying her face carefully.  
  
  
"No," he shook his head slightly.  
  
  
"Yes," Amelia said firmly, confusing him further.  
  
  
She hugged him again, feeling him relax into her embrace.  
  
  
"Oh honey," she said sadly, "I don't want you to go, but you _have to_... _Please_ understand... "  
  
  
She let go and stood back, waiting for his response.  
  
  
He didn't give her one, he simply couldn't grasp what she was trying to say.  
  
  
"Jack," she said loudly, making him jump, " _go_!"  
  
  
His look of hurt confusion made her heart break again, she didn't look at him as he slowly made his way out of the room. He glanced back at her imploringly, but she turned away from him.  
  
  
"Mumma... ?"  he ventured.  
  
  
Amelia's shoulders shook.  
  
  
" _No_ Jack," she said, her voice shaking, " _go away_."  
  
  
He blinked at her slowly, but she didn't look at him and he left with the soldiers without protest.  
  
  
Iris placed her hand upon Amelia's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.  
  
  
"You did the right thing," she said softly.  
  
  
Amelia pushed her hand off.  
  
  
"I fucking _hate you!_ " she spat, storming out of the room in tears.  
  
  
She had no idea what would happen to Jack now, but one thing she knew for certain: They would use him to do their dirty work. It killed her inside to know this, he would become a soldier and he hadn't even celebrated his first birthday...


	9. Training

Military life was hard, many people couldn't handle it who were adults so what made them think Jack was any tougher?  He was barely 4 months old by the time he finished the initial phase of his training, learning to recognise commands and how to follow orders.  
  
  
They trained him to locate the enemy, showed him how to move without being seen or heard and finally they figured he was ready for phase two. Jack was to be given endurance training at 5 months old, by 6 months old they had learned that not even a mortar could injure him. He could hear a feather landing on water half a mile away and yet the sound of a tank blasting right next to him didn't bother his sensitive ears. He was frightened by the noise, but no damage was done to his hearing. He withstood grenades, small bombs, mortar fire, machine gun bullets and even a sniper hit.  
  
  
His dragon-tough skin simply didn't break, without scales to sneak in under; there was nothing that could pierce his flesh. This caused some alarm among the superiors, because if he turned against them for any reason; they knew he could not be stopped. They needed to find his weakness, surely he did have one but he was set on fire accidentally one afternoon and it didn't even singe his hair. It was disturbing and exciting all at once, here they had the perfect weapon of war but it was very unpredictable....  
  
  
**  
  
  
It was finally time for the final phase of Jack's training, he was 9 months old and they believed he was ready for it. There was just one command to learn now, one that Jack hadn't heard before.  
  
  
  
They dragged out some people who were being held against the law, former prisoners of war who had been declared MIA and searches had been stopped years ago. They set up an area so that the prisoners could not escape, but it was big enough for them to get lost in. They gave the prisoners an hour headstart, then they brought Jack in. He had been trained to locate the enemy quickly, which he did in record time but then they gave him his new command.  
  
  
  
"Kill it," they told him.  
  
  
Jack hesitated, unsure of the words.  
  
  
The prisoner was begging for mercy, but it didn't help that Jack did not understand the language he spoke. He barely understood the english he was learning...  
  
  
"Celliers!" barked the commanding officer, "kill it!"  
  
  
And he fired a bullet into the pleading man's head to make his point.  
  
  
Jack looked down at the man, who was now unmoving and he understood.  
  
  
"Seek," came the order and Jack slowly turned away, staring out into the trees to look for the next prisoner.  
  
  
He located one behind some boulders, using his vision to see through them as if they weren't there. He led the soldiers directly to the prisoner and waited mutely. Again the prisoner pleaded for mercy, more desperately because he had heard the gunshot.  
  
  
"Celliers!" came the bark again, "kill it!"  
  
  
Jack looked down at the begging man, he was crying and clutching Jack's boot. Jack felt no desire to hurt this human, he couldn't understand why he was being told to kill someone who hadn't done anything but they were determined to get their own way. In the simplest way they could, they told Jack that if he did not obey their orders, they would put a bullet in his mother's head.  
  
  
Jack still loved Amelia, despite the way she had told him to go away and he reluctantly relented.  
  
  
By the end of the training exercise, all 15 of the prisoners were dead. The last one made them especially pleased, because they had only needed to command him once and the prisoner was dead seconds later. Jack never wanted to hurt them, but after a while he saw no other options because if he failed to obey the command; not only would they threaten his mother but they would simply shoot the prisoner and move on to the next one. If they would be killed either way, he would have to do it - if only to save Amy.  
  
  
They led Jack to one last area, segregated by huge, iron gates.  
  
  
"Go get 'em," came the command Jack hated the most.  
  
  
It was one they had only done with dummies, but as he scanned the area; he found that this time they were more prisoners hiding instead. The command 'go get 'em' was straight forward enough, he was to go off on his own and find the enemy, kill it and return to the soldiers. Jack could easily track them down, he could see their tracks, smell their sweat, hear their hearts racing. He could see them, despite the terrain. One was hiding in a fox hole, Jack could see his crouched body using his infrared vision.  
  
  
With a sigh, thoughts of Amelia safe because of his actions, Jack set off quietly to do the deed. There were three all up, one was in a tree and Jack glanced up at him with apathy. He climbed the tree, tossed the prisoner out of it and leapt down but the man's neck had broken in the fall. One down, two to go.  
  
  
He located one hiding underwater, using a reed to breathe. Jack could hear the soft breathing easily and followed it, hauling the man out of the water and then pushing his face down into it. Drowning them seemed easy enough, humans were such fragile creatures.  
  
  
Last one, Jack crept to the fox hole and reached in, dragging out the prisoner who kicked and screamed. Jack uttered a growl and tore at his flesh with his extended claws, tearing off chunks and eating some of them as he went along. His stomach full, he left the badly mutilated corpse behind as he returned to the waiting soldiers. He was bloodied and his head was down, his gaze averted in shame yet they praised him as the blood dripped from his fingers and lips.  
  
  
Jack was confused, Amy had told him he was bad for killing but these soldiers were telling him he was good.


	10. First Massacre

It was decided a few months later that Jack was ready for action and he was sent straight to the front lines of an actual battle. Jack arrived among the gunfire and he sat beside some soldiers who were shooting at some other soldiers across the field.  
  
  
"It's about time you guys got here!" complained one of them, "we sorely need backup! This is their strongest point! If we can take it from them, we've got them on the run!"  
  
  
The soldiers that Jack had arrived with began firing, laying down in the tall grass and hoping they hit someone amongst the opposite treeline.  
  
  
Jack saw the thing, long before anyone else did.  
  
  
"Tank!" he shouted.  
  
  
"Fall back!" bellowed the commanding officer, "retreat!"  
  
  
Jack had never heard this command before, so he remained where he was while everyone else began to pull away. The shells started exploding all around him, he stared down as the people closest began to fall to pieces. Arms and legs were everywhere, not all of them were attached to their bodies. People were blown full of holes, heads were taken clean off and Jack felt the loss of familiar faces. He had spent months of his short life growing up with these same people who now lay around him, unmoving and bleeding.  
  
  
Something started to bubble up inside of him, so when one of the dying men looked up at him and spoke the words; Jack was listening very intently.  
  
  
"Jack," the soldier spluttered, coughing up blood, "go... go get 'em!"  
  
  
Jack watched the soldier's eyes glaze over, then he turned and glared hatefully towards the tank. He started running directly at it, someone who didn't know him shouted for him to come back. Others were asking loudly if he were insane or suicidal?  Jack wasn't listening, he had his orders and he was going to carry them out. For his fallen comrades, to keep his mother safe and to teach these bastards a lesson they wouldn't soon forget.  
  
  
Once he had the enemy within reach, Jack grabbed each of them in turn and sometimes two or three at once. He ripped, he tore, he poisoned and he slashed. They tried everything to stop him, but he was frenzied now; the intoxicating stench of fear and blood clouding his mind. Their screams filled his ears, still he wasn't stopping and soon he was joined by the soldiers who had previously retreated.  
  
  
The enemy were giving themselves up, desperate to survive Jack's slaughter.  
  
  
But how to stop him?  
  
  
He was not a machine, they couldn't just switch him off and nobody had thought to teach him any commands for stopping what he was doing.  
  
  
"He won't stop til they're all dead," said Jack's commanding officer, "what have we done?"  
  
  
Jack tore into another throat, ripped at another face...  
  
  
His eyes were wild, his teeth sharper than razor blades and his claws were clogged with flesh.  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
Somewhere back home, Amelia was lighting a single candle on a lovely, little cake. "Happy first birthday, my innocent little Jack," she whispered, tears streaming down her face, "wherever you are... I hope they're treating you well."  She imagined him having cake and opening gifts today, if only she knew how he was really spending his very first birthday....


	11. Buck

"Somebody stop him!" shouted a voice, Jack heard them but not all of the words were familiar. He had just grasped another squirming throat, when he heard a familiar word among the other nonsensical ones.  
  
  
"No!" it shouted, stopping him in his tracks.  
  
  
Suddenly, they were all saying it and Jack let go of the throat. He stood down, felt someone grasp his wrist and he was led away from the scene. Glancing over his shoulder, he watched his soldier friends violently throwing up as they bore witness to what he'd done.  
  
  
"You did real good, son," the commanding officer was saying, but Jack was barely listening. If he had done so good, why wasn't anybody smiling or rubbing his tummy? Why weren't they scratching him under his chin, the way Amy used to?  He turned away from the massacre, his eyes leaden with the first-hand horrors of war at only 12 months of age...  
  
  
**  
  
Jack was taken to a less active area of the battlefront, they were a patrol unit and only ever came across the enemy by chance; which wasn't often. He was quiet for much of his time there, sitting up at nights to keep watch - sometimes alone, sometimes not. His keen hearing would give them plenty of time to set up an ambush if necessary, but for a long time nothing exciting really happened and Jack was glad for the break. The only thing that really bothered him for a while, was the fact that no matter how hard he scrubbed; the blood stains on his hands just wouldn't come off. Nobody else seemed to notice the stains, telling him his hands were clean but _he_ could still see them.  
  
  
One night, as he sat up against a tree trunk; Jack was listening for any odd sounds. There was a corporal sitting next to him, a few feet away; rifle in hand but relaxed. Jack was gazing up at the stars, wondering which one - if any - was home. The corporal glanced over at him, unsure of how to talk to him because he'd been told this man knew only a little english.  
  
  
"Hey," he tried.  
  
  
Jack ignored him.  
  
  
"Uh... Hello?" he tried again.  
  
  
Jack looked at him now.  
  
  
"Hello," Jack returned the familiar greeting.  
  
  
The corporal smiled a little.  
  
  
"Name's Allistaire," the corporal introduced himself, "Allistaire Buckley, but my friends call me Buck."  
  
  
Jack stared at him silently.  
  
  
Buck pointed to himself.  
  
  
"Buck," he said firmly, hoping to get the message across.  
  
  
Jack nodded, indicating that he understood and returned his gaze to the night sky.  
  
  
Buck looked around the darkened woods, his fellow soldiers were sleeping behind them - hidden here and there in the terrain. He couldn't see much, it was too dark and even the moon didn't seem to want to show itself tonight. Jack had no trouble seeing, night for him was like an overcast day so it really didn't make much difference to his sight. He was 18 months old now, his muscles were light but solid, he was fast and very strong. He was tuned for sneak attacks, wired for sudden explosions and his body was like a spring trap more often than not.


	12. First Sleep

On his second birthday, Jack was sitting with Buck in their usual position. He knew that he would be sent somewhere else very soon, because the action on the front lines was starting to pick up again. He was sitting by a tree, staring up at the stars one moment; then the next he was opening his eyes and blinking into the morning light of dawn. He sat up quickly, his eyes darting around.  
  
  
"Welcome back," smiled Buck tiredly, "never seen you do that before, sorry I didn't wake you up... Figured you could use a good sleep... "  
  
  
Jack watched him talking, his mouth moved and words came out but they were quite lost on him. He understood sleep, because whenever that word was spoken; all the humans lay down and closed their eyes for hours and hours. Is that what had happened? He shuddered, it was a frightening concept to be so vulnerable. He couldn't remember anything, not one damn thing from last night.  
  
  
"I'm guessing you've never slept before?" said Buck, noting his disorientation, "don't worry, it's harmless."  
  
  
He later learned that he would fall asleep every two years, but only for a few hours. Also, he would wake up once with a bug bite on his arm, leading him to the conclusion that he was vulnerable when sleeping. He'd keep this to himself, not wanting anyone to test that theory...


	13. Alone

Jack looked at Buck curiously, then his entire body became alert as he gazed off somewhere in the distance.  
  
  
Buck instantly left to wake the others, it was too early for them to wake up themselves and he'd been told that Jack never tensed up like that over a false alarm. Soon, everyone was up and ready for whatever was coming.  
  
  
Only Jack stood out in the open, listening intently. He would have to draw the enemy out, convince them he was alone and unarmed. The others would then ambush the unsuspecting unit and hopefully gain some P.O.Ws of their own to boast about.  
  
  
Sure enough, an enemy patrol soon approached Jack cautiously; their rifles pointed at him as they looked around for anyone else who might be around. Jack clasped his hands behind his head, calmly watching them surround him and bark things at him that he couldn't understand. There were six of them in total, which was quite small. Jack watched them slowly place their rifles down onto the ground and raise their hands up over their heads, his 12 companions coming out to take their weapons and order them to march.  
  
  
"That was great!" Buck slapped him on the back and Jack followed the unit back to their compound to turn in the prisoners. This was where he was issued new orders, stationed to a new area and had to become familiar with a whole new set of faces and names.  
  
  
Most of them simply left him alone, some tried to befriend him and he was grateful for those few because they would teach him something new every so often; making it easier and easier for him to communicate with everyone else.  
  
  
It was like this for the next four years, not always in the same country and not always a bloodbath but it was the only thing he knew anymore and when they sent him back for a break - he was unsure of what to do with himself. He had seen and done such terrible and horrible things, by the time he returned to the military barracks he started at, they did not know how to handle him. So they sent him back to where they had found him, back to the genetics lab where Iris was uneasy to welcome him back. They assured her he was not a danger to them, gave her the list of words NOT to use and left. Iris looked into the little white room where Jack had hatched, he sat on the white gurney and simply stared at the floor.  
  
  
She called Amelia immediately, who had quit the same day they'd taken her boy from her. The number was disconnected, Iris hung up and sighed; who else could get through to him but Amelia?  
  
  
He stayed with the lab for about a week, barely moving and saying nothing.  
  
  
Sometimes he curled up on the gurney and shed a few tears, burying his face into the pillows and sobbing silently. Iris wished she could comfort him, but she didn't know how and simply left him alone.  
  
  
That is exactly how he felt now, alone. Nobody in the world seemed to care for him, not like Amy had cared for him. How he missed her smiles, her tummy rubs and her laughter.  
  
  
He could barely remember what she looked like, but he remembered how her hugs felt and he really could do with one of those right then.  
  
  
Some hours later, Iris found him sitting in the middle of the room on the floor; rolling his colourful ball. It would hit the wall and roll back to him, then he'd roll it away again only for it to hit the wall and roll right on back. He stared listlessly at the wall, as though it weren't even there. It looked strange to see a man rolling a ball like that, but she had to force herself to remember he was only 6 years old. He placed the ball into a bag, holding it tightly and he never let go of it after that day.  
  
  
**  
  
  
All too quickly, they came for him once again. That was the trouble with this world, there was always a fight somewhere. Jack hated it, but had grown so accustomed to it that he felt more comfortable on the battlefield than he did anywhere else. It was all he knew anymore, so he slipped back into it without too much difficulty. It was tough, but he learned to be tougher and he became hardened by war.  
  
  
****  
  
  
It was some 40 odd years later, _he_ hadn't aged a day but most of his comrades had retired or been killed. Some of them had died, but Jack was used to this by now. Death was not something that affected him anymore, how could it? He was surrounded by it almost daily, he shut it out and only the pain in his eyes ever revealed the truth behind his crooked smile. His only worldly possession? A ratty, old bag that he kept close to him every moment of every day.


	14. Where's My Baby?

Jack was sitting in a bar with his current unit, they were on a short R&R and living it up while they could; beer and cigarettes a-plenty. It was very noisy in the bar, the soldiers were determined to enjoy themselves during this rare moment of freedom.  
  
  
An elderly woman entered and slowly started looking at the soldiers faces, one by one and studying them carefully. She had come to this bar for years; everytime she heard there were uniforms in the area, searching each and every table with sad yet hopeful eyes. Always she left disappointed, but always she returned with hope renewed as each unit took their turn to rest up.  
  
  
She reached the last table for tonight, studying the soldiers who sat with Jack. When she looked at him, she hesitated and looked again; harder this time. He put down his beer and offered her a smile, tilting his head slightly.  
  
  
"Can we do anything for you, luv?" he asked her.  
  
  
She looked disappointed, shaking her head sadly and turning to leave.  
  
  
Jack shrugged and turned back to his friends.  
  
  
  
"Was that your girlfriend, Jack?" taunted one friend.  
  
  
  
" _Shutit_ , Frank," Jack smirked back at him and the soldiers all roared with laughter.  
  
  
The usual chatter resumed once the old woman had gone, but Jack could not help thinking about her. Who was she looking for and why was she so sad? He stood up, grabbed his bag and left the table; heading for the door.  
  
  
"Don't steal my drink!" he called over his shoulder, but it was already gone.  
  
  
Amelia sat down outside the bar, she was almost certain that she'd found her Jack but he spoke far too fluently for it to be him. The man inside could not be her little boy, his eyes were too hard. Jack had always had such soft and gentle eyes, the epitome of innocence he was; at least to her. She gave an audible and heavy sigh, heartbroken and lonely. All she had ever wished for since the day they took him away, was to see her baby boy just one last time.  
  
  
  
Jack walked quietly out of the bar and saw the old lady sitting there, he was confused because it was getting very late and people tended to get rowdy around this time of night. She really shouldn't be out here, she should be at home where she was safer. He seated himself beside her and neither of them spoke for a long time, Amelia was simply glad for the company but Jack was just awkward and unsure of what to say.  
  
  
  
"Do you know," Amelia finally spoke to the soldier sitting beside her, "you're the first uniform to ever really pay attention to me?"  
  
  
  
Jack looked at her.  
  
  
  
"Are you looking for someone?" he asked her.  
  
  
  
Amelia nodded.  
  
  
  
"Perhaps you know him," she said hopefully, "I have asked and asked, but nobody seems to have heard of him."  
  
  
  
Jack shrugged.  
  
  
  
"I can only try," he offered, "I know a lot of people. What is his name?"  
  
  
  
Amelia's eyes turned towards the stars, as did Jack's.  
  
  
  
"Oh but he was my baby boy," she said wistfully, "a cheeky, little scallywag but I did so love him very much. I can only pray that he always knew, my little Jack... How I miss him so... They dragged him off to war, far too young he was. Perhaps he's still alive, perhaps he's dead... What would I know? Nobody ever tells me anything."  
  
  
  
Jack's eyes fell upon the old woman as she spoke the name.  
  
  
  
"Not... Jack _Celliers_ , by chance?" he asked curiously, then he stared hard at her, " _Amy_?"  
  
  
  
Amelia's eyes met his, they glittered with unfallen tears and were lit up brightly with a surge of hope.  
  
  
  
"Oh don't you tease me!" she said to him firmly, "tell me you know my boy! Please... Mend an old woman's broken heart and tell me you know my boy! Where is he? _Where's my baby?_ "


	15. Home At Last

Jack swallowed a lump in his throat.  
  
  
  
"I'm _right here_ , Mumma," he said softly, "don't you _see me_?"  
  
  
  
Amelia's hand shook as she slowly raised it, touching his cheek softly and studying his face with disbelief.  
  
  
  
Jack closed his eyes, leaned into her touch and uttered a gentle purr; something he hadn't done since he was taken away from her.  
  
  
  
Amelia pulled him into a tight hug, he knew it was really her because in all the years he'd been away; her hug was something he had never forgotten.  
  
  
  
Tears streamed down the old woman's face.  
  
  
  
"Oh my boy," she sobbed so hard that her whole body shook, "my _baby boy_... "  
  
  
  
Jack hugged her tightly, closing his eyes and never wanting to let her go.

She drew back, looking him over and staring at his eyes.  
  
  
"What have they done to you?" she asked him quietly.  
  
  
He used to look around with wonder and curiosity, now his eyes kept darting around; looking for trouble.  
  
  
"When do you go back?" she asked.  
  
  
"A few days," he answered shortly.  
  
  
Amelia slowly got to her feet.  
  
  
"Walk me home?" she held out her hand and he accepted it, rising to his feet.  
  
  
"Of course," he nodded, walking alongside her as she showed him the way to where she lived.  
  
  
As they entered her home, Amelia set about at once. She made him take off his boots, sent him in to take a shower and gave him clothes to wear that weren't green while his uniform was in the wash. She smiled at him when he was ready, he cleaned up very nicely indeed. He had grown taller than her, he was lean but muscular and his rough, slightly suntanned skin was not the baby soft texture she once remembered.  
  
  
"I never ever got to celebrate even one Christmas with you," Amelia told him.  
  
  
Jack inclined his head and she smiled at him, _how she had missed that._..  
  
  
She started to talk to him about Christmas and Santa Claus, Jack sat and listened to her in fascination; his eyes wide with wonder for the first time in years.  
  
  
"We are going to have our own Christmas," Amelia told him, "right now, in fact!"  
  
  
She stood up and he followed her, helped her bring down the tree and decorations; then he looked at her curiously for a minute.  
  
  
"Doesn't Christmas happen when it snows?" he asked her.  
  
  
"This is just for you and I," Amelia explained, "our very own, private Christmas."  
  
  
He smiled at her, then they decorated the tree with strings of popcorn, pretty lights and little baubles. Finally, the star was placed on top and Amelia hugged him close to her.  
  
  
"Now you run along upstairs," she said with a smile, "Santa won't come if he sees you awake!"  
  
  
Jack kissed her cheek, then started up the stairs but he paused and looked down at her.  
  
  
"Don't forget the milk and cookies," he reminded her.  
  
  
"I won't," Amelia followed him up and into the spare room.  
  
  
She watched him climb into bed, then she tucked him in and kissed his forehead.  
  
  
Jack closed his eyes, humouring her as he needed no sleep. He listened to her movements downstairs for a while, then she finally went to bed but Jack remained alert all night.


	16. Christmas

Sometime around 2am, he heard a car backfire but he'd never heard that before and he rolled out of his bed. Laying flat on the floor, he listened silently for a few seconds.  
  
  
_Enemy fire?  
  
  
Warning shots? _  
  
  
He hadn't heard them approaching...  
  
  
_Where were they now?_  
  
  
He army-crawled to his door and opened it, crouching to peer out into the hallway. He crept along to his mother's room, slipped inside and stood guard just inside her door for the rest of the night. When morning came without incident, Jack crept downstairs to make sure everything was safe for when his mother woke up. As he descended the staircase, the most incredible sight greeted him and he had to blink a few times to make sure it was real. His mother _had_ to see this, it was _incredible!_  
  
  
He rushed back to her room and started to shake her shoulders gently.  
  
  
"Wake up!" he urged her, "mumma, _wake up!_ "  
  
  
Amelia sat up, yawning and rubbing her eyes.  
  
  
"Sweetheart it's _6am_ ," she said, exhausted, "what's the matter?"  
  
  
"You have to come downstairs," Jack pulled at her urgently, "I... I think Santa's been!"  He had figured she was just telling him a story last night, he hadn't counted on it being true.  
  
  
Amelia smiled at him and slowly got out of bed, following him downstairs and looking around at all of the beautifully wrapped gifts she'd left for him there under the tree.  
  
  
"There are so many!" Jack said in awe.  
  
  
One for each birthday, to be exact.  
  
  
Amelia had never forgotten a single one of them, wrapping a gift for him each year and storing it away when the day was over.  
  
  
"He's even eaten the cookies and drank the milk," Jack informed her, then he fidgeted and looked at her questioningly, "may I open them?"  
  
  
She gave him a nod and sat down to watch him, nothing would have made her happier this day than to watch her boy open his presents.  
  
  
Jack wasted no time in tearing them open, studying each new gift and asking question after question.  
  
  
Amelia was more than patient with him, answering to the best of her ability.  
  
  
At last, he looked at her and frowned.  
  
  
"They were all for me," he said, slightly disappointed, "what about you?"  
  
  
Amelia beamed at him, tears glittering like stars in her eyes.  
  
  
"All I ever wanted was you," she told him softly.  
  
  
Jack stood up and walked over to his bag, he took something out of it and handed it to her.  
  
  
Amelia's tears fell as she gazed down at the old, colourful ball in her hands. It still had his tiny, little bitemarks in it.  
  
  
"All these years," she said, shaking her head and smiling, "you kept it _all these years_... "  
  
  
"Merry Christmas, mumma," Jack placed his hand on her shoulder.  
  
  
"Merry Christmas, Jack," she smiled at him, tears of joy glittering in her old eyes.  
  
  
"I've missed out on so much," Amelia said sadly, "the first time you ever smelled a flower... The first time you tasted ice cream... Your first _snog_... "  
  
  
Jack was silent as she spoke, truth be told; he'd never really smelled a flower or had ice cream. He wasn't sure what a snog was, but he was pretty certain he hadn't eaten one of those either. Still, he let her imagine his life however she pleased. It would do no good to tell her any different, so he kept it to himself and just enjoyed hearing her voice until it got late in the evening.  
  
  
She had made a lovely Christmas dinner for him, though he wasn't keen on human food; he had learned to eat it politely. He always threw it up some hours afterwards, so he only ever rarely ate it when he had no other choice. They pulled a cracker and she placed the paper crown on Jack's head, smiling adoringly at him.  
  
  
Amelia gave him ice cream for afters, which he enjoyed very much for her sake but then she got tired all of a sudden and he carried her to bed.  
  
  
He tucked her in and lay next to her, she snuggled up to him and he placed his arms around her.  
  
  
Amelia listened to his heart beating, her head resting upon his chest as she drifted slowly off to sleep...  
  
  
She could not have ever wished for a better day, it was _perfect_. She sighed contentedly in her sleep, a small smile gracing her wrinkled face.


	17. Love And Loss

Jack didn't leave her all night, he stayed right there with her in his arms and kept watch. It was just before dawn when he looked down at her, worry creasing his brow as he heard her heart rate drop.  
  
  
"Mumma," he spoke softly, "mumma, don't go."  
  
  
She stirred slightly.  
  
  
"Jack," she whispered, "I'm _right here_... Go back to sleep, baby... "  
  
  
Jack shook her gently, hearing her heart slowing down more.  
  
  
"Mumma," he said, louder this time, "mumma, **no**... Mumma, _please_.... "  
  
  
"I'm so _happy_ I found you," she said softly, smiling but not opening her eyes.  
  
  
He held her tightly as she breathed her last, closing his eyes and taking in her scent, never wanting to forget it.  
  
  
"Mumma," he whispered, tears falling, " _don't leave me_... "  
  
  
But Amelia was gone.  
  
  
****  
  
  
Jack was given time off to attend his mother's funeral, and to mourn her death. With no intentions of returning to the military, he did not leave the cemetary for a long time; standing guard over her grave night and day. He became friends with the caretaker, who often brought him a glass of water when he stopped by for a chat.  
  
On the 10th night, Jack heard a very strange and yet somehow oddly familiar sound. His gaze lifted to the starry night sky and he smiled, reaching both hands up into the air...  
  
  
The next morning, the caretaker approached Amelia's grave with a glass of water for Jack, only to find him gone at last.  
  
  
Looking down at the old lady's final resting place, he saw a lovely vase of flowers and sitting right beside it; a very old, colourful ball...

  
  
=THE END=


End file.
